Baddiley-Clark Building, University of Newcastle

Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

The Baddiley-Clark Building brought together a critical mass of world-leading bacterial cell biologists and provided them with state-of-the-art facilities in which to push the boundaries of research and knowledge. This building is an excellent example of innovation and a flexible building within a challenging tight site. As a result of the sustainable design used for the building it achieved a BREEAM 'Excellent' rating.

Cundall was appointed to perform structural, civil, building services, fire engineering and geotechnical services. The site on which the Baddiley-Clark Building was constructed is surrounded by various university estate buildings, including a Grade II listed building that was incorporated into the scheme.

The Baddiley-Clark Building was the last phase of the Faculty of Medical Sciences on the University campus. As a result of this, and the confined site caused by the adjacent buildings, it was necessary to lift the building out of the ground and use cantilevered ground beams for support so that no additional load was applied to the surrounding listed buildings.

The unique design of the building created a stunning landmark for the client; it has a striking entrance and still allows for natural pedestrian routes around the campus.